Community Wind Projects

Community Wind projects get a boost from Washington State

Washington State August 30, 2010 The State of Washington has awarded Cascade Community Wind Company (CCWC) one million dollars (30% grant 70% low interest loan) to help install up to eight community wind turbines before December 2011.

Report Uses Cases Studies to Explore Community Wind

Lessons & Concepts for Advancing Community Wind, released by The Minnesota Project, seeks to advance the development of community-based wind projects in the United States by drawing keys to success and policy recommendations from three compelling Midwestern case studies.

Wind energy continues to experience double digit growth rates because of the relatively cheap technology and the widespread availability of wind resources, and numerous studies have now shown that locally-owned wind projects produce disproportionate benefits to the local community and region where they are built. This presents community wind energy development as a stand-out opportunity for communities across America to pursue locally-owned projects that will help meet their electricity needs and contribute to energy independence while also providing tremendous economic benefits. 

Report Contents:

  • Section I: Community Wind Case Studies
    • Winona County, MN
    • City of Willmar, MN
    • Miner County, SD
  • Section II: Keys to Success
    • Visioning & Planning
    • Project Leadership
    • Involving the Community
    • Financing & Pricing
  • Section III: Solutions for Advancing Community Wind
    • Dispersed Generation Studies
    • Siting & Permitting Standardization
    • Establishing or Improving C-BED Legislation
    • Rural Utility Service Loans
    • Investment Tax Credit or Cash Grant
    • Net Metering
    • Advanced Renewable Tariffs
    • Standard Offer Contracts
    • Increasing Renewable Portfolio Standards

South Dakota PUC Interconnection Workshop

2008

The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission will host an interconnection workshop March 18-19, 2008, in Pierre. The workshop will be held at the Kings Inn Hotel and Conference Center, 110 E. Sioux Ave. This will be the first of several workshops designed to develop a statewide best practices model for connecting small generating facilities to the electric grid.

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Community Wind Webinar from the Mid-Atlantic/ Southeastern Regional Wind Energy Institute - January 14, 2008

Windustry's own Lisa Daniels and Rebecca Pilcher-Cleland were two of the speakers for this webinar aimed at people interested in Community Wind in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern states.

Also presenting were representatives of the Hull Wind project in Hull, MA.

Topics on the webinar include:

  • an overview to starting a community wind project (Rebecca Pilcher-Cleland);
  • financial structures for community wind projects (Lisa Daniels);
  • and a first hand account of community acceptance from Hull, MA (Andrew Stern/ Malcolm Brown).

Rural Cooperatives Magazine features wind energy

The November/December 2007 issue of Rural Cooperatives, a magazine published by USDA Rural Development, features wind energy.

The issue includes stories about:

  • the Minwind projects in Luverne, MN,
  • how USDA 9006 grants are supporting wind energy in Iowa,
  • the technician training program at Iowa Lakes Community College,
  • the Trimont, MN wind project,
  • the Corn Plus Ethanol plant wind project in Winnebago, MN,
  • Basin Electric Power Cooperative's wind initatives,
  • Illinois Rural Electric Coop's wind turbine, and
  • a great piece about opportunities for coops to participate in wind energy.

You can read Rural Cooperatives online by clicking here.

Nebraska Farmer's Union Convention

2007

The theme of this year's convention will focus on renewable energy economic opportunities for farmers, ranchers and rural communities.

Ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel, carbon sequestration, and farmer- and community-owned wind (technology) each represent a new renewable energy based market with new sources of revenue.

In order to maximize the long-term economic benefits of these new value-added renewable energy opportunities for rural communities, the converence will focus on farmer and community ownership of this new renewable energy development.

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Harvesting Clean Energy 8

2008

The Harvesting Clean Energy Conference is the Northwest’s premiere gathering for agriculture and energy interests working to advance new opportunities for agriculture producers and rural communities in clean energy production. Clean energy offers real solutions – financial and practical – for our farmers, ranchers, rural utilities and towns, tribes, and regional economy.

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